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California Speaks Austrian
A special moron vote. Gypsy cyclists. Bush and the worst. Obama as Pobedonostsev. Plus more.
RUIN AND BORED
Re: George Neumayr’s
May The Schwarzenegger Not Be With You:
I enjoyed George Neumayr’s article about the “governator,” and I share his views. But, as Neumayr said, Arnold is really “boring,” so I’d like to discuss the California electorate (for Californian readers that means voters), an odd entity that has split personalities, squared.
Some Californian voters seem to know they’re morons, but, like, you know, it’s okay with them because, well, like, they’re Californians and, like, you know, they’re really cool morons. Still others seem to know that they’re naive and intellectually unsophisticated, in large part because of an inferior, left-slanted public education system. But, still, you know, like, even with their profound naiveté and substantial intellectual impairment they’re like, you know, well, still Californians and so they’re, like, really cool, you know Dude?
How ever they’re characterized, many Californians’ political decision-making appears antithetical to critical thinking. They’ve become mired in a shallow, pop-culture mentality. They’re celebrity-driven, herd-like creatures, who either can’t, or won’t, analyze important issues in any real depth or scope. They take little account of cause and effect regarding how they vote or how their political leaders’ decide public policy matters. They continue to elect hard-left, tax and spend liberals, such as their two U.S. senators, along with a large majority of their other congressional delegation — and, of course, their state legislature. It’s amazing and sometimes amusing to watch what the voters and their politicians do and then try to calculate: “What in the world were they thinking?”
In any case, there can be no doubt Californians know the kinds of political leaders they elect, yet when it comes to paying the costs for many of the hair-brained programs approved by those leaders, the good folks of California often don’t want to pay for the programs concocted. Yet, for some reason, those same voters continue to re-elect the same goofy, spendthrift politicians; and they continue to approve ballot propositions obligating the state to create more and more, often useless government spending programs costing billions of dollars the state cannot afford.
A classic example was the 2006 election where numerous propositions were on the ballot. Six were to approve, or not, various state spending that would cost about $100 billion. Voters approved all six measures. On the other hand, there were five other propositions for new taxes to pay for spending for such programs as those approved; and another measure to “limit the size of government.” Comically, all six of those measure were defeated handily. (See here.) What to think? What to think? Well, it seems simple to me. California voters want everything, but want to pay for nothing. The word “morons” flashes back into my mind.
As an aside, and far from being comical, there was another proposition on that 2006 ballot requiring abortion doctors and clinics to inform parents before killing an unborn child in the belly of a minor girl. This measure was rejected by voters, in effect, permitting voters’ very own unborn grandchildren to be killed without their knowledge or an opportunity to save the child’s life. I asked one nice lady who voted against notification of parents, and she told me, “Well, that’s better than a child using a coat hanger or having an abortion performed in some back ally.” WOW!! Attitudes of Californians have bemused me for the 20 plus years I’ve lived here, but I think I realized what the deal was a few years back when I saw graffiti spray-painted on a rock in a park. The writer said “keep abortion legal” and then below that were the words: “meat is murder.”
Another example of the Californian mind is the wailing and cursing when prices of gasoline for their cars goes up a few cents per gallon. But when the question arises about whether the state should permit drilling for oil in the vast proven reserves off the Pacific coast, the same people become apoplectic. No! No! No! they sputter. We can not despoil our coastline. Apparently, Californians believe folks in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Venezuela, Russia, and countries in the Middle East should happily continue delivering cheap fuel to Californian stations and otherwise leave them alone.
Given all of foregoing and other equally bizarre voting history and attitudes of Californian voters, especially in the last couple of decades, who could have been surprised by the defeat this week of the five tax propositions on the ballot which were designed to ensure the state has money to pay its bills into next month? And, who could be surprised that these same voters still, apparently, want all the government services money can buy and all the silly government spending program that leftists can conceive. Obviously, getting and paying for gasoline, or getting and paying for government services are, well, like, you know, not necessarily related, and, like, why should they be, dude?
All I can do is continue to shake my head and wonder, “What in the world are they thinking?”
In any case, the state is broke and getting broker by the day. If
the situation did not seriously effect the lives of so many real
people, it would be like, totally, you know, like, humorous,
don’t you think dude?
— A.A. Reynolds
Chula Vista, California
You may be all of those names called you by duh Media. It also happens you were absolutely correct in your evaluation of “Benedict” Arnold.
Later than sooner, one of his advisors will tell him the $20 billion tax increases over five years have a very negative impact on state income.
Do not let the twittering nitwits of news change your reporting
of truth.
— Eddie MacIsaac
EASY RIDING
Re: Henry Gekonde’s The
New Hampshire Motorcycle Fetish:
Letter to the Editor View all comments (22) | Leave a comment
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Pingback| 5.22.09 @ 7:32AM
1 dead, 1 injured in California military jet crash - Boston Globe | California news links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Crisis in the world today| 5.22.09 @ 10:33AM
Government is to govern countries, not the private lives of people, who are not breaking the law.
If 3 Million teenagers got Pregnant every year and the state had to pay for housing and give them money to live on, it would not be long before most government see it as a problem, an economic problem.
If rats were breeding out of control in your area, you would see it as a health issue. And many studies find people behave like rats, think like rats. As long as rats gets food and warmth they do nothing but breed and produce more rats, till supplies dry up.
One cannot egnore a growing problem, it has to be addressed, if the government has to pay for the problem it becomes a public issue. If the entire GDP goes to wards paying for none productive people in society, it becomes a drain on the economy. You can't egnore the problem forever.
Most teenagers don't want children, they want to have fun, but sex is a fun but it has consiquences.
As for the unborn grandchildren, most responsible mothers want their children to get an education. !Not a baby!
California is a Bankrupt State, huge numbers of homeless people. It's got to the stage of either letting people out of prisons, close down schools.
If that is a growing trend, it's of great concern, amongst the growing poor and homeless population. Thanks to 10 years of George W Bush.
Roy Northam| 5.22.09 @ 11:10AM
The last comment states that "If that is a growing trend, it's of great concern, amongst the growing poor and homeless population. Thanks to 10 years of George W Bush."
It is almost a certainty that the writer is a left coaster. Neumayr responds aptly to this statement in his article. "The word "morons" flashes back into my mind."
logmak| 5.22.09 @ 12:27PM
Mr. Reynolds - And this makes the California electorate different from the rest of the country - how?
HotPat| 5.22.09 @ 3:11PM
Mr. Reynolds, I grew up in Chula Vista and have been a life long Californian since. The problem is not with the voters, but with a corrupt political class that has gerrymandered themselves into invincible re-election. Term limits was supposed to cure that, however these swine have become mere players in a game of musical chairs. The liberal control over this state's political system has engendered out of control spending. Add that to mendaciously worded Initiative measures and constitutional amendments bankrolled by out of state billionares, coupled with a gullible, and dumbded down , illerate electorate, utilizing massive support by government workers unions, and the SEIU which has given us a budget containing mandates that are a far greater portion of the state's spending than so called "discretionary spending." Therefore it is impossible to fund the fundamental mission of government: public safety and infrastructure that encourages growth.
I say enough for mountain lions, dolphins, webbed toed salamanders, nature preserves, child care programs, and educational spending that has had the net effect of paralyzing the ability of California to adapt. No need to mention the NIMBY enviornmentalists pushing solar and wind power. We need far less government in this state. But like you, I have little hope that this state can return to the relavite sanity marked by the Reagan and Wilson years. Too many liberal socialists with the attitude that "I've got mine, screw you" toward market based solutions and freedom are driving employers out of this state at an alarming rate.
Lord help us.
Larry| 5.23.09 @ 11:06AM
Well, having been born in Oregon and now living in Washington, I can tell you this. The northwest has been invaded by and taken over by Californians and it is not a pretty sight! The stupidities border on criminality. To0 many of them to list here.
DaveS| 5.23.09 @ 8:24PM
Hair-brained is supposed to be 'hare-brained.'
Richard Baker| 5.24.09 @ 7:39PM
The pioneers who founded the "Bear Republic", (look on the state flag) would be appalled to find that their efforts have been stymied by a narcissistic population who want everything handed to them but want someone else to pay for it. Let them go bankrupt. At least their self-esteem will be high.
Daphne Kenward| 5.25.09 @ 1:50AM
Mr. Reynolds, do you know that you're a California voter--or is your IQ so low you didn't realize it? What a fool you are; it's not the California voter who is the moron--it's the liberal voter who holds that dubious honor. Last time I checked, liberals populated all fifty states in our Union, not just California. Senile old dope.
Smitty in Cali| 5.25.09 @ 2:01AM
Larry, I know many people who live in Oregon and Washington; no Einsteins in the bunch sorry to say. Your state of Washington has a liberal euthanasia law in place now--not so smart of you folks, is it? Better watch yourself and don't get sick or next, one of your medical finest could be coming toward you with a hypodermic needle. At least we haven't been THAT stupid.
David Govett| 5.25.09 @ 12:40PM
Not too many people recall that the reason JFK ended up in the Pacific in PT109 was that, while stationed in D.C., he had an affair with a Nazi naval attache and was hurried out of town to cover it up. (Given the family's sordid history, "Kennedy" seems to be the Gaelic word for "cover-up.")
Richard Baker| 5.25.09 @ 2:26PM
Mr. Govett:
Her nickname was "Inga Binga" and she was a friend of Goering and Hitler. Since the Father, Joe Kennedy, had to be recalled as Ambassador to Great Britain for saying that the Brits were going to lose against the Nazis, Jack's "friendship" was a potential source of family embarassment (didn't know that a Kennedy could be so afflicted).
Pingback| 5.28.09 @ 11:07PM
Austria » Siemens to cut over 1,000 Austrian jobs links to this page. Here’s an excerpt: